Rosé of Mourvedre

White Wine

2008 Hudson Vineyard Syrah “Cofermented”

Napa Carneros

The second ins a series of three wines showing the interplay between a great terroir and winemaking technique. This wine was co-fermented with 5% Viognier and then aged on lees in 100% new oak from particularly finessed and tight-grained barrels for 20 months. Made like new-wave Cote-Rotie, this wine is inspired by the brilliant efforts of Gaillard, Gerin, and the La-La’s.

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 10

($42; includes 8% viognier) Saturated ruby. Highly floral nose features violet, jasmine and licorice, with strong boysenberry and blackberry fruit aromas. Spicy and perfumed in the mouth, with a light touch to the intense blackberry and candied violet flavors. Quite brisk and extremely young, with excellent finishing clarity and lingering spiciness. Manages to be both powerful and lithe; I’d give this a few more years of bottle aging to gain flesh, but it’s very sexy now.